"If he went to Australia, it was because he was told this exemption gave him the right to do so" — Justine Henin on Novak Djokovic's visa controversy
Former World No. 1 Justine Henin gave her verdict on the Novak Djokovic vaccination saga. Henin sympathized with the Serb and pointed out that he only traveled to Melbourne after getting a medical exemption.
Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia on Sunday after the Federal Court upheld his visa revocation order. The Serbian legend's visa was canceled by the Australian government for the second time last week, denying him the chance to defend his title at this year's Australian Open.
JUST IN: Unvaccinated tennis star Novak Djokovic is deported from Australia after losing visa battle, dashing his hopes of defending his Australian Open title cnn.it/3FyQZFK
In the interview, Justine Henin, who now serves as a tennis expert and analyst at Eurosport, stated that it's "difficult" to comment on the matter since it revolves around Djokovic's "privacy."
However, the former Belgian player remarked that the Serb "admitted" his mistakes after breaching isolation when he tested positive for COVID-19, meaning he didn't have any "super power feeling."
"It's very difficult to say, because we are not in the privacy of the player. Of course, Djokovic made mistakes and he admitted them, which also cannot testify to a feeling of 'super power' that he would have... If he went to Australia, it was because he was told that this exemption gave him the right to do so. We can therefore also understand his discomfort," said Henin.
Henin stressed that there are still a lot of "gray areas" in Djokovic's whole controversy, hinting that the responsibility of Tennis Australia and the Australian Open management has not been questioned till now.
The seven-time Slam winner said the COVID-19 pandemic was a "very complex situation" for everyone.
Justine Henin gives her opinion on the Djokovic case
"if he went to Australia, it was because he was told that this exemption gave him the right to do so
“Djokovic will find the energy to seek the records he dreams of
"These are his personal convictions"
7sur7.be/tennis/justine… https://t.co/Ff9XL6r0Fc
"Some have mentioned the responsibility of the tournament and of Tennis Australia, and it is true that there are still a lot of gray areas around their communication... In any case, it is a very complex situation that we have been experiencing for two years. And today is a somewhat sad epilogue for everyone," added the former World No. 1 player.
Justine Henin says Novak Djokovic has got all the "resources," feels he will "find his energy" back soon
In the same interview, Henin emphasized that Djokovic must be "exhausted" after the recent events and it will take him some more time to return to the court. However, the Belgian believes that the tennis ace has all the necessary "resources," and will soon "find the energy" to make an incredible comeback on the court.
“I think right now Djokovic must be exhausted and not very good in his sneakers. He'll probably need some calm, but he's been through some tough times in his life and I think he has the resources and he's going to find the energy to get back to work and go for the records that he dreams, because he is animated by it," mentioned the 39-year-old.
Novak Djokovic has missed the Australian Open for the first time since 2004.
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